Opening Day, and A Good Omen for New York's Home Team

They’ve already been playing for few weeks, and the playoffs are months and months away, but Opening Day at home carries its own special significance, and the defending World Series champion New York Yankees carried it in decisive fashion with a 7-5 win over the Angels in their home stadium.
George Steinbrenner was among those in attendance at the huge opening-day crowd--49, 293 people--the largest at any regular season game at the new ballpark.
Derek Jeter and Nick Johnson hit home runs, Jorge Posada had three hits, and Mariano Rivera was the closer for Andy Pettitte. (The final game at Yankee Stadium last season also involved, you guessed it, Mariano Rivera closing for Andy Pettitte.) The Angels’ 2009 season ended at Yankee Stadium, when they lost the 2009 American League Championship series.
The day was significant for another reason--World Series rings were handed out. Former Yankee Hideki Matsui, who was the series’ MVP, got a huge ovation. Matsui, ironically, now plays for the Angels. He signed with them in December.
The first World Series ring was given to Gorge Steinbrenner. It’s made of white gold and has a blue stone under a diamond-embossed Yankee logo. Hall of Famers Whitey Ford and Yogi Berra helped pass out the rings, along with Yankee manager Joe Girardi.
A new World Series flag flew with 26 others atop the stadium.
The Yankees play the Angels today and tomorrow as part of their three-game series. They play another three-game series against the Texas Rangers starting on Friday.
Play ball!

The New Yankee Stadium Will Host More Than the Yankees

A swing--but no miss--was in full form yesterday at the site of the old Yankee Stadium, as a portion of the upper deck was destroyed as part of the demolition of the old stadium; it's being razed to make room for parks.
The new Yankee Stadium (home of last year’s World Series champions, of course) which opened last year, hosts its opening day game on April 13. (Spring training is already underway. Yay!)
But the stadium will play host to more than just baseball teams this year. Part of the agreement when the new stadium was built was that uses would be found for it year round. The inaugural New Era Pinstripe Bowl (college football; who knew?) is scheduled for December 30 of this year. It will host the third-best Big East team against the sixth-best Big 12 team. ESPN will televise it (Unlikely if it were not being played at the home of the Bronx Bombers…)
We don’t make up these things; we just report them.
Team officials say that in part because of the college bowl game, employment will now be available year round, and that free tickets to the game will be given out to local residents.
A major boxing match is also planned at the stadium for this June, as is the Notre Dame-Army game in November.
College and professional games were also played sporadically at the old Yankee Stadium.
In the meantime, play ball!

Construction On New Meadowlands Stadium Ahead Of Schedule

Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the soon-to-be home field of the New York Giants and Jets football teams, is under construction and months ahead of schedule. The stadium will still open during the projected time frame of December 2009 to April 2010.
Meadowlands Stadium is replacing Giants Stadium, with the construction taking place nearby in the parking lot. Giants Stadium will be demolished when Meadowlands is completed to free up more parking lot space.
The new open-air stadium will have 82,500 seats, including 200 luxury suites, four large video boards in each of the four corners, and a fenced in security perimeter. It will be the second-largest stadium in the NFL behind FedExField, home to the Washington Redskins outside of Washington D.C., with a capacity of 91,704.
Environmentally friendly initiatives are being taken to create one of the greenest sports venues there is. Meadowlands Stadium will be partially built with 40,000 tons of recycled steel and stadium seats will be constructed from scrap iron and recycled plastic. Water use and construction waste are being cut, and concessions will use biodegradable utensils, plates and cups. Construction costs are currently estimated at $1.6 billion.
The opening of Meadowlands Stadium follows the open of Citi Field in March 2009 and of the new Yankee Stadium in April 2009, both in New York City.